Money - Reading Rockets | Launching Young Readers and nonfiction book about money, appropriate for a third grade listening level, and included related activities to encourage some

MoneyAdventures in Reading:Reading Adventure Packs from Reading Rockets

Contents:. Two books - one fiction, one nonfiction. Parent information sheet. Three activity sheets. Bookmark. Parent surveyFunded in part by the Park Foundation, Inc.

ADVENTURES IN READING : MONEY

for teachers and librarians

Adventures in Reading: Reading Adventure Packs from Reading Rockets

This Reading Rockets activity pack is designed to support reading activities at home. We’ve chosen a fiction and nonfiction book about money, appropriate for a third grade listening level, and included related activities to encourage some hands-on fun and learning. Just assemble the packet in a two-gallon zip top bag, and send home with your students.

Reading Rockets carefully chose books that are widely available and appealing to young readers. The titles selected should be available in your school library. If the two featured titles are not available, or you prefer another title, feel free to substitute books related to the theme. You’ll find a list of suggested alternative titles included in the bookmark.

The featured books are A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams and Money (Eyewitness Books) by Joe Cribb. A Chair for My Mother offers a touching lesson about the rewards of hard work, thrift, and savings. Rosa, her mother, and her grandmother lost all their possessions in a fire. While generous friends and family members help them begin to refurnish their apartment, they long for a comfortable chair. Together, they work and save until they have enough money to bring home the most beautiful chair in the world. In Money, detailed, full-color photographs help explain the history of money and how coins and paper money are made. There are also interesting facts about money, a look at currency around the world and tips on coin collecting.

The parent information sheet includes an introductory note that you can personalize instructions about how to use the packet, and tips for sharing fiction and nonfiction books with children

The activities are designed to encourage further exploration and learning at home:

>> Creativity Activity: a hands-on craft project

>> Imagination Activity: encourages imaginative play, writing, or drawing

>> Get Real Activity: focuses on real-world experiences for parent and child

>> The bookmark lists both the featured titles and additional titles

Putting it all together

Print out copies of the parent information sheet, the activities, the survey, and a master for making bookmarks. Cut the bookmark page into strips. You may wish to print the activity pages and bookmark on card stock for durability.

Into a two-gallon zip top bag, place:

>> Two books — one fiction and one nonfiction

>> Parent information sheet

>> Three themed activity pages

>> Bookmark

>> Survey for parents

Send the packet home with your student. Encourage parents to keep the parent information sheet, the activities, and bookmark, and return the books and survey to you.

Let reading rockets know what you think of the family activity packets by e-mailing us through our website: www.readingrockets.org/sitecontact. Click on “Reading Adventure Packs.”

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ADVENTURES IN READING!

Welcome

Dear

Exploring new ideas and enjoying books with you sends a powerful message to your child: Reading and learning are fun, and happen everywhere — not just at school. This Reading Rockets Activity Packet about Flight was created to help you and your child enjoy reading and learning together.

Start your learning adventure by reading some books with your child about this popular topic. Then explore the topic with three activities. Enclosed you’ll find what you need:

>> two books to share with your child

>> three related activities

>> bookmark with a list of other books to extend the fun, if you wish

>> short survey to tell me if you enjoyed using the packet

The simple steps on the back explain how to use the packet.

The bookmark, this parent information sheet, and the activities are yours to keep.

When you’ve finished with the materials, please return the books and the completed survey to school in your child’s backpack. Please return the Reading Rockets Activity Packet by .

I hope you’ll enjoy reading and learning together!

Teacher signature

To learn more about children’s books, reading with your child, and information about helping kids become confident readers, please visit www.ReadingRockets.org



Instructions

How to use your Reading Adventure Pack

Getting ready

1. Before you read the books to your child, be sure to read them yourself.

One book is fiction — a “make-believe” story. The other book is nonfiction, or informational and true. Reading the books first will give you the “inside scoop” to the twists and turns of the story, the interesting information inside, and the parts of the books that will appeal most to your child.

2. Next, read the three activities to see which of them you think your child will enjoy most, and which one you have the time and materials on-hand to do right away. Chances are, after you read one (or both) of the books with your child, he or she may want to do an activity right away.

Start the fun

3. When you know you’ll have at least enough time to read and talk about one of the books, grab your child and a book, and dive right in. Start with the fiction selection. Talk about the cover of the book with your child — can he guess what it is about? Have they ever read a book by the same author or illustrator or about the same topic?

Read the book to your child. If you are using the fiction title, you will be sharing a make-believe story. As you read and explore the pictures, you should note to your child that the author may include real facts in fiction writing. Talk with your child about how to confirm factual information found in works of fiction. Then, try the nonfiction book or one of the activities.

4. When you read the nonfiction book, take a moment to explain to your child the difference between the two types of books. The fiction book told a made-up, make-believe story, and a nonfiction book focuses on real people, places, and things. The information in nonfiction books can answer lots of questions and confirm facts.

5. Feel free to pick and choose from the activities, or change them to suit your child’s interests. Read the books again over the next few days and try different activities. Most important: have fun!

When you’re done...

6. Keep the bookmark, the activities, and this page. Complete the survey and return it with the books to your child’s school.

Make the most of the excitement the books create, and try some hands-on learning or make-believe fun. Exploring new ideas alongside you lets your child see you learning — and reading — too, and gives your child personal experiences to support her growing knowledge.

Tips for reading nonfiction books with kids:

>> Wonder out loud. As you are reading, or afterward, talk about facts you find interesting or questions you have.

>> Show your child how to use the table of contents, section headings, index, and word list (glossary) to find the answer to a specific question.

>> Don’t be afraid to jump around, reading pages that especially interest your child. You don’t have to read a nonfiction book straight through.

Tips for reading fiction books with kids:

>> Take your time and talk about the story with your child. Ask your child questions.

>> Explore the pictures with your child.

>> Read with expression. Change your voice or how fast you read to create excitement. Ham it up!

>> You don’t need to read every word. Keeping your child interested is the goal.


CREATIVE ACTIVITY : MONEY

bank on it

In A Chair for My Mother, Rosa, her mother, and her grandmother save every coin they have in a large glass jar. In the nonfiction book Money, we learn that the type of clay used in the Middle Ages to make pots was called pygg and that the idea for the piggy bank likely evolved from the clay kitchen pots where the grocery money was stored. While the safest place to save money is bank savings account, your child will enjoy creating a functional work of art that is also a good place to keep some cash handy at home.

Supplies

>> Drawing supplies: construction paper, pencil, markers or paints, ruler

>> Scissors and glue

>> Household junk — containers with lids, small boxes, pipe cleaners, paper clips, Styrofoam pieces, fabric scraps, toothpicks, etc.

>> Craft knife for creating an opening in a plastic container or box

Getting Started

Ask your child to think about how Rosa and her family saved money. All the coins they saved in the glass jar really added up! You might also ask if he thinks that they saved money faster because they were saving for something specific. What would he like to save money for? Inspire him to save up for it by making a bank that reminds him of what he’s saving for!

Once you know what he has in mind, look through your household junk collection for a container. The best type of container would be one with a lid that can be removed so his money is accessible when he needs it. If he has a big-ticket item in mind, you may want to look for a big container or talk about transferring money to a savings account each time a small container gets filled up.

What he’s saving for and the type of container determines how to proceed next. For example, if he wants to save for a pet hamster, he might use fabric scraps and cotton to transform a cylindrical container into a hamster bank. Or if he’s saving for a video game console, he might use a box decorated with paper to make a bank that’s a console look alike. Add an opening for dropping in savings and make sure the construction allows for easy retrieval of funds.

If the item he has in mind can’t be represented by transforming any of the containers you have on hand, have him draw and color the thing he wants on paper. He can cover the container with his drawing and see what he’s saving for each time he makes a deposit!

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GET REAL ACTIVITY : MONEY

check your change

One of the most popular hobbies in the world is coin collecting. There is much to learn and enjoy from coins — history, biography, geography, culture, and more! You and your child can try coin collecting just by examining the change in your pocket.

Supplies

>> spare change that includes a variety of coins

>> a coin that was minted the year your child was born

Getting Started

The nonfiction title Money includes information about coin collecting and you may want to have it or another nonfiction book about money handy as you and your child examine the coins you have.

Begin by paying attention to the anatomy of a coin. Your child probably knows “heads” and “tails,” but what are all the other parts called?

Parts of a coin

Here are some different ways you and your child can sort and discuss the “collection” of coins from your purse or pocket:

• Sort by denomination (value). Organize into pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollar coins. Ask your child to do the sorting and have him tell you the name and value of each type of coin. Find out what your collection is worth by adding it all up.

• Sort by image. Coin designs change and though a nickel is still worth five cents, the image on one coin may be different from another. How many coins do you have that feature different images on the reverse? Talk about these images and what they represent.

• Sort by mint. Where was each coin made? Separate your coins based on the mint where they were produced. Talk about where these mints are located.

• Sort by year. Every coin includes at date that shows what year it was minted. Arrange your collection chronologically and see how many different dates you have. Have your child find the oldest coin and the newest coin.

Tell a story with a coin. Share a coin minted the year your child was born. Talk with him about what happened during that year giving both personal and global history. Choose another coin minted in your child’s lifetime and ask him to tell you what he remembers about that year. Do some research together online or at the library to help match his memories with world events.

Reverse (Tails)Legend

MottoImageValue

Obverse (Heads) MottoFieldPortraitDateMint markRim

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IMAGINATION ACTIVITY : MONEY

money to burn

When you “pay through the nose” is cash really erupting from your nostrils at the checkout line? If you’ve got “money to burn,” do you actually set fire to the contents of your wallet? Of course not! These expressions are idioms, figures of speech that have meanings beyond the actual words used in the phrase. In this activity, your child will gain a better understanding of how idioms work and explore the playful side of figurative language by creating his own book of idioms.

Supplies

Writing and drawing supplies — paper, pencil, markers, stapler

Getting Started

After you read A Chair for My Mother, see if you and your child can find a figurative expression used by Mama when she’s tired and wants to sit. There are thousands of idioms in the English language that relate to many aspects of life and culture — even idioms that focus on money. How many idioms about money can you and your child think of? Make a list and talk about what these expressions mean. Here are a few to get you started:

A pretty penny If something costs a pretty penny, it means it costs a lot.Foot the bill When you foot the bill, it means you pay for it.Money talks Money talks means having money attracts the attention of others.

As you make your list, also discuss the literal meaning of these expressions. When you have completed your list and your child has a good grasp on the meanings of these idioms, ask him to illustrate some of his favorite idioms with a literal interpretation. For example, a pretty penny might be drawn as a penny wearing fancy clothes or makeup. To create his own illustrated book of idioms, have him draw a picture and caption each idiom on separate pieces of paper. Use the back of each sheet so that when the pages are assembled and stapled, it reads like a printed book.

Burning a hole in your pocket

When someone uses the expression “that money is burning a hole in your pocket” it means that it seems like you can’t wait spend your money. In this writing activity, your child will literally describe what he would do if he had one million dollars burning a hole in his pocket.

Talk with your child about what he would want to buy if he had one million dollars. Look at catalogs or visit websites to find out how much the things he’d like to buy would actually cost. Then have him put together his shopping list! Set some restrictions on his purchases, such as he can’t spend the entire million on one thing or each item purchased must be $250,000 or less. Ask him to include descriptive details about his planned purchases and to write about how he plans to use or share his new goods or services.

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Parent Survey

My child and I read books and did activities together about:

Animals

The environment

Folktales

Food

Music

Time

Dinosaurs

Sleep

Green Eggs and Ham

Where the Wild Things Are

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Farms

The Snowy Day

Tell us about your experience with the activities:

Easy and fun to do

The directions were difficult to understand

My child enjoyed the activities

Did talking about what you were reading, and the activities help your child to learn? (on a scale of 1 to 5)

1 2 3 4 5

(did not learn much) (learned a lot)

Would you like to try another “read and learn together” activity with your child? yes no

What kinds of things is your child interested in?

The Lorax

Rocks

Oceans

Cooking

Weather

Building

Bees

Rivers

Stars

Flight

Money

Other


MONEY

Adventures in Reading: Family Literacy Bags from

Reading Rockets

Featured titlesFictionA Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

NonfictionMoney (Eyewitness Books) by Joe Cribb

Additional fiction titlesSam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn

My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel

Amelia Works It Out by Marissa Moss

If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz

Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst

Additional nonfiction titlesThe Go-Around Dollar by Barbara Johnston Adams

Money Madness by David A. Adler

Follow the Money! by Loreen Leedy

The Story of Money by Betsy Maestro

The Kids’ Money Book: Earning, Saving, Spending, Investing, Donating by Jamie Kyle McGillian

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Money - Reading Rockets | Launching Young Readers and nonfiction book about money, appropriate for a third grade listening level, and included related activities to encourage some